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COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT -Water Quality Control Division Rationale -Page 3 Permit No. COR-040000 IV. STORMWATER DISCHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH MINING OPERATIONS The stonnwater regulatiorss require that stonnwater discharges associated with certain industrial activities be covered under the permit program. Mining operations are specifically included in the listed industrial activities. This general pennit is intended to cover stonnwater discharges from most active and inactive metal mines. It is also intended to cover stonnwater discharges from mines (e.g., coal mines) which have individual CDPS pennits for discharge of process waters. A. Tyves of Sites Covered This pennit is intended to authorize most new and existing discharges composed entirely of stonnwater from mining operations that are within Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Cade 10 -Metal Mining and Milling, ar sires that discharge stonnwater only. This category includes active and inactive mining and milling operations, and retnediation projects at such sites. Zhis pennit is intended to cover those portions of a metal mining or milling site that are not already subject to effluent limitations under 40 CFR 440. Those previously uncontrolled areas which discharge stonnwater that comes in contact with overburden, raw material, intermediate products, byproducts, finished products or waste products may be covered by this permit. Division policy number WQP-17 describes the difference between stonnwater and process water at a mine site. This pennit tnay also be used to cover existing discharges composed entirety of stonnwater from any other metal or coal mining operations that are currently covered by an individual CDPS pennits for discharge of process water. At the time of reissuance or amendment of the individual CDPS pennit, terms and limitation from both pennits may be combined into a new individual pennit. Table 7 presents the categories of the mining industry and their CDPS stonnwater pennit coverage. The Division intends to continue its practice to cover only one area with each permit certification. As long as the operations or inactive mines are contiguous, one pennit certification is sufficient. However, if a mine-waste remediation plan calls for removal of material and disposal at a location away from the mine-waste site, separate permit coverage must be obtained for the disposal site. B. Mine-Waste Remediation Proiects This pennit is intended to authorize most stonnwater discharges from mine-waste remediation projects. This permit contains additional SWMP requirements for remediation projects. These are detailed at Pan I. C of the permit, and summarized at VI.B.2 below. The Division foresees three general cases where permittees will use these provisions: Inactive mine sites where the petmiaee begins a remediation project in order to terminate coverage under an existing. In this case, the perndnee will amend their SWMP to address the retnediation concerns as outlined in Pan I.C.S of the permit, and proceed with remediation. Certification under this pennit would be terminated when the termination criteria and other conditions listed at Pan !.F of the permit are met. 2. Inactive mine sites where no previous stonnwater pennit coverage exists, and the owner or a third parry (with permission of the owner) plans to remediate the site. In this case, the SWMP would be prepared, including the items in Pan I.C.S of the pennit, and the owner or third party would submit the completed pennit application. After the permit certification is issued, stormwater discharges from the remediation project would 6e authorized. Certification under this pennit would be terminated when the termination criteria and other conditions listed at Pan I.F of the pennit are met.